The invention relates to an extinguishing device designed for local firefighting in buildings, at the location of the source of a fire, according to the precharacterizing clause of claim 1 and to a corresponding method according to the precharacterizing clause of claim 6. In addition, the present invention relates to an extinguishing system with a plurality of extinguishing devices of the aforementioned type according to claim 2.
Where buildings are fitted with extinguishing devices, they are, for example, sprinkler systems which are fitted in the building concerned or parts thereof, in particular on or in ceilings, and from the nozzles of which water is sprayed as an extinguishing agent in a case where the system is set off or there is a fire. Sprinkler systems are automatic fire extinguishing systems which are used for preventive fire protection in special buildings such as high-rise blocks, office buildings, department stores, industrial installations, conference centers and meeting places as well as underground garages. A number of water outlet nozzles, known as sprinkler heads, are provided on the ceiling of the room or in the upper region of the side walls and are connected to a network of water pipes. The water outlet nozzles are in turn sealed by glass ampoules, which are filled with a special dyed fluid. A sprinkler system is under a constant internal water pressure, which is monitored at the sprinkler control center. In the case of a fire, the special fluid in the glass ampoules heats up and expands, causing the ampoules to burst. As a result, the nozzles are opened and the extinguishing water is discharged from the network of sprinkler pipes. The resultant pressure drop is detected by a control device and leads to the opening of further valves and the starting of pumps. From this time, water is pumped into the sprinkler system at high pressure from tanks provided for the purpose or via a water connection dimensioned for the purpose. This water is discharged from all the open water nozzles and extinguishes or minimizes the fire.
One disadvantage of sprinkler systems is that they are often designed as systems that are interconnected over a large area, so that, in the case of just a small fire or in the case of a false alarm, considerable damage is caused by the sprayed extinguishing agent. Moreover, it is only with considerable effort that buildings can be retrofitted with the known, permanently installed sprinkler systems.
Also known from the prior art are extinguishing devices in which an extinguisher column is used for local firefighting in buildings, at the location of the source of a fire. Such room extinguisher columns comprise a transportable housing with extinguishing nozzles for discharging an extinguishing agent stored in the column that are arranged in a distributed fashion over the wall of said housing, a tank for receiving the extinguishing agent that is connected to the extinguishing nozzles, an energy supply module and a control module for activating an extinguishing function of the room extinguisher column that is connected to fire alarm sensors being arranged in the housing. The known room extinguisher columns may be set up in a decentralized arrangement in a building, it being possible for the room extinguisher columns to be operated fully autonomously with respect to the setting-off and extinguishing function. Thus, depending on the size of the room, a single room extinguisher column placed in the room concerned may be adequate. In the case of large rooms, it is also optionally possible for a number of room extinguisher columns to be set up. The known room extinguisher columns make it possible for a building to be retrofitted in a way that involves little effort in terms of structural measures and low costs, it then being possible for false alarms to affect only a single room extinguisher column, which results in less damage than in the case of the false alarm of a sprinkler system. The possibility of just extinguishing a fire locally in the surrounding region of the source of the fire allows damage attributable to the sprayed extinguishing agents to be limited, which is of advantage in particular in the case of comparatively small sources of fire occurring locally.
However, the known extinguisher columns only have comparatively low effectiveness in local firefighting. In particular, pockets of heat can only be extinguished inadequately with the known room extinguisher columns, which may result in the fire breaking out again after completion of the extinguishing operation.